#4 Red Line Cars 1900-2151

I seem to recall at least the old Blue Line cars (pre-#4 cars, too young to remember specifics) having the metal handholds that you had to pull down as they swiveled up out of the way when not in use. Then its been just the bars forever until the straps came in.

I seem to recall having encountered the straps before, but don't know where/when other than possibly the same timeframe.

Oh, the new straps are heavy-duty plastic? Okay, that's good too. But the irony of things having come a full circle is still there.

Wonder how long for the locals learn to "Straphang" properly.

Uh, haven't the straps BEEN heavy duty plastic? The trains have had those straps for at least as long as I've ridden the Red Line, 15 odd years.

You're probably right. I only ride up in Boston about once a year and those plastic straps still seem new to me. I'm an old school NYC subway rider who grew up with metal straps on our trains until they disappeared some years ago.

The Redbirds (R26-R36) were last with straphangers, though the R32-R42 had them removed during rebuilds.
Buses still have them.

The last use of metal loop handholds in Boston were on the 01400s, which were spring loaded and flipped up out of the way when not in use. The "straphanger" era returned a few years ago when cars on all lines began receiving straps made of some kind of plastic/rubbery material looped around the existing horizontal metal grab bars above the seats. They're allegedly some kind of hygienic material, but I wouldn't touch them even before the pandemic. They're also really annoying - I am not particularly tall, but they hang low enough that I'm constantly brushing my head against them when I stand up from a seat.

Head-end View wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 9:34 pm Not sure if Boston cars had them, but years ago all New York City subway cars had metal straps. But they were eliminated in newer car orders since the 1970's being as mechanical devices got too expensive so passengers just held on to the bars for the last forty years.

Boston had the metal straps. I remember them on the older Red Line cars in the 80s. That said, I wouldn't necessarily see a return to flexible straps as a step down. As you note, mechanical devices are more complicated to maintain and repair, and I can't recall any attributes to the metal "straps" that provided added value.

I see that nothing has changed, just One single CRRC trainset on MBTA property, remaining 246 are still held up at CRRC Springfield, They better get a second one in by the end of this month

Perhaps the remaining sets are being "reeducated"

Ok I see. Hopefully they’ll be built and finalized soon although I’m working remotely from home till July 1

Robert Paniagua wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 10:39 am Ok I see. Hopefully they’ll be built and finalized soon although I’m working remotely from home till July 1

The Red Line cars are not expected to all be in service until at least September 2024. https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/20 ... -cars.html

MBTA3247 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 5:42 am The straps are heavy-duty plastic.

Hopefully the plastic is cleanable, especially in the Age of COVID. Back at the turn of the 20th Century transit cars used leather straps. During the Influenza epidemic it was found that leather was difficult to clean and therefore could transfer the virus, so transit companies converted to metal. Hopefully we don't need to relearn that lesson.

Jon

jonnhrr wrote: ↑Tue Feb 16, 2021 11:36 am Hopefully the plastic is cleanable, especially in the Age of COVID.

Plastic is easily cleaned, and touching surfaces is not a particularly effective means of spreading covid, in spite of what was believed early on. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00251-4

Not sure why it’s taking them forever to build more red line cars, but 2 new orange line cars came each month. Still nothing for the red even though that is now slated to be completed in 3 years to 2024